deficit. >> only in washington would you count $4 trillion of reduction when, in fact, the plan called for adding $1 trillion of debtry one of the next fur years. i think that is wrong. we should instead take a course represented by free democrat to get america to cap our funding, cut our spending and get us on track to a balanced budget. >>reporter: the obama campaign licking their wounds and said governor romney has a vigorous performance that was devoid of honesty. the romney campaign firing back against that saying that the obama campaign has been engaging inning in but false statements. trace, the war of words continues this far after the debate. >>trace: it will go on. john, thank you. president obama's advisor, david axelrod acknowledging that governor romney has a great night and admitting the president will make some adjustments. president obama fought back today attacking governor romney on the campaign trail. listen. >> it could not have been mitt romney because the real mitt romney has been running around the country for the last year promising $5 trillion in tax cuts to pay fo

only way to meet governor romney's pledge of not reducing the deficit or not adding to the deficit is by burdening middle class families, the average middle class family with children would pay $2,000 more. >> others have estimated the total value of the tax cuts would be some $5 trillion over ten years. governor romney says he will keep it deficit neutral and pledges there is one thing he won't do no matter what. >> i will not under any circumstances, raise taxes on middle income families. i will lower taxes on middle income families. now, you kite a study. there is six other studies that looked at the study you described and say it's completely wrong. >> the president based his assertion about a $2,000 tax increase on a study by the tax policy center which had exempted some tax deductions from any cuts in its analysis. then it concluded the plan could only be deficit neutral with a tax hike on the middle class and obama ads are hammering away. >> why won't obama level with us about the tax plans. >> the tax policy center, however, later changed its assessment. it said if romney put

issues. they're going to start talking about the economy. why the deficit's been above $1 trillion now four years running, and maybe if the moderators get into it, what's happening in the middle east, and what they think they can do about it. i think that governor romney's plan's going to be to try to stick to the substance because i think the country knows we need a change. >> i'm only half joking about kicking out of the room. metaphorically, a lot of republicans want to see mitt romney do just that to the president. they want to see him verbally beat him up and make the points that you've made crystal clear and win the argument. but there's another argument that says that one of mitt romney's problems is he's not likeable enough and he may need to turn on the kind of easy ronald reagan charm which he deployed so successfully in debate. it's a fine line, isn't it, between being hard and aggressive and making a point, but also coming over as likeable. >> right. and piers, really, the way to deal with that, and i think this is true for any debate but especially one where the stakes

he would eliminate to make the math work on his deficit plan and his tax plan. are we going to get those details in the course of the debate? >> well, you know, david, i wish you guys were just as tough on the president. the president says he's going to create a million new manufacturing jobs. he doesn't say how. he says he's going to reduce the long-term debt and deficit by $4 trillion. doesn't say how he's going to do it. let's be fair here. governor romney has laid out a direction and a vision for the direction of this country. he's not an accountant. he is not going to go line-by-line through the budget. but let's hold the president to the same standard and criticize him as well, because how does he create a million new manufacturing jobs, david? he hasn't told anybody the specifics of that. how will he reduce $4 trillion in debt? we're still waiting to hear what he thinks about simpson-bowles, which he commissioned. he's been the president and hasn't given us specifics. so let's be fair here. >> so that's really the approach then? you're a former prosecutor. you understand how

is focused on what these two develop are talking bthe deficit. they have to deal with the deficit. but once you're done with the deficit you have to rebuild the middle class in this country and nobody is paying much attention to that. we have a lot of rhetoric in the campaign but-- >> but the necessary done to help the middle class is to nail down the fiscal issues. if we don't nail down the fiscal issues, i don't think anything will matter. >> but i'm with you, i think it will happen because of necessity, because of the fiscal cliff. >> what it will take to rebuild the middle class? >> it's taken three decades to basically decimate the middle class. it will take something like that to rebuild it. but we have to be dedicated to that. we're focused on a fescal deficit not a human deficit, and we have a human deficit in this country. we have 27 million people either unemployed, working part time, unwillingly, or dropping out of the labor market. >> schieffer: let me work michelle into this conversation. as you sit here hearing this, it's always education that seems to wind up at the

/romney economic plan which would somehow reduce the deficit or popular deductions. >> you're the master of the budget. so briefly let's go through the plan. the obama plan says independent groups say if you cut those tax rates for everybody 20%, it costs $5 trillion over ten years. true? >> not in the least bit true. look, this just goes to show, if you for tur statics enough, they will confess enough to what you want them to say. >> how much would it cost? >> it's revenue neutral. >> i'm not talking about the cut. we'll get to the deductions. but the cut in the tax rates. >> the cut in tax rates is lower all american tax rates by 20%. >> how much does that cost? >> it's revenue neutral. >> it's not revenue neutral unless you take away the deductions. >> that's where i'm going. >> i'm going to get to that in a second. >> lowering the tax base works and you can. >> let me just -- you haven't given me the math. >> look, i don't have the -- it would take me too long to go overall of the math. >> it would take too long to do the math? this isn't a pop quiz. it's a presidential electi

understand, if romney wins this presidential election they'll be paying the bill not to reduce the deficit, not to reduce jobs, to give huge tax cuts. >> the idea of the president is not going to tell the truth, this has become the theme inside the romney camp. >> you learned and studied all this about president obama as a debater, what are you looking? >> i think he's going to say a lot of things that aren't accurate. i would be tempted to go back to that line by ronald reagan, there you go again. >> your campaign has gone overboard at times with the rhetoric, are you worried that president obama is going to have a rough night with fact check ners. >> absolutely not. we still believe that this is going to be a close race. the reason, you know, governor romney is having a rough patch here is not because what we're sieg about his plans, it's his plans. look in the mirror. people don't want to go back to the same trickle-down policies in the first recession. also, this 47 .comment, you know, i think the message that e sends to american people, if he has written off half the country, they're

, which deductions would you eliminate, let's be specific and how will you do that and reach deficit reduction, which programs will be cut? >> the question is, how do you get america back to work. what paul ryan said on your clip is, you flatten the base and increase -- excuse me, you increase the number -- reduce the number of deductions that are out there and you expand the base. that's typically what works. that can be done in a revenue neutral fashion that's what paul ryan has proposed and what that does is make america more competitive. mitt romney has been specific on how he would get america back to work and replace the failed policies of the president. andrea that's what this is about. the president's policies on job creation haven't gotten us back to work. 8% unemployment for 43 months. i mean what mitt romney said very specifically on job creation, is expanded trade by reducing the barriers, creating a better climate for america by keeping tax and regulatory policies in a better shape, energy. this president has been horrific we just lost 1200 coal jobs in virginia last wee

, it might help make inroads with that 9% deficit romney is facing against the president in the latest ohio poll. then again, there may not be enough time to do enough shots with enough intoxicated fans before voting starts in ohio tomorrow. so if his running mate is no use, how about a boost from the other person mitt's proposed to, his wife, ann. surely she can provide the comfort and confidence that mr. romney needs to fire up his bid for the presidency. >> my biggest concern obviously would just be for the -- his mental well-being. >> wait? what? mrs. romney, that's not helping. you better finish the thought. >> i have all the confidence in the world in his ability, in his decisiveness, in his leadership skills, in his understanding of the economy, in his understanding of what's missing right now in the economy, you know, the pieces that are missing to get this jump started. so for me i think it would be the emotional part of it. >> right. he's capable, decisive, and emotionally troubled? well, that is an october surprise. let's get right to our panel this afternoon. with us from w

avoid raising the deficit or burdening the middle class. >> there will be no tax cut that adds to the deficit. >> i will take ideas from anybody, democrat or republican as long as they are advancing the cause of making middle class families stronger and giving opportunities to middle class. >> i have got five boys. i'm used to people saying something that not always true but repeating it hoping i will believe it. i will not reduce the taxes paid by high income americans. >> we do better when the middle class is doing well. by giving them those tax cuts they have more money in their pocket so maybe they can buy a new car. >> under the president's tax policies middle americans have been buried. they have been crushed. martha: joe biden had a bit of a gaffe using that same line and mitt romney put it back at him last night. candidates will barely have time to catch their breath. they get back on the campaign trail today. the president will be in colorado and wisconsin. the romney camp moves along to the swing state of virginia. you have got 13 electoral votes up there. bill: we find

. >> >> quite the come back. europe rallying from a 10-6 deficit to match the largest come back in the event's history. sinking the 14 st. and deciding -- the deciding point at the 18th hole. the mad dash for william mac ill roy who needed a police motorcade because he arrived 11 minutes before tee time. he forgot ill sinl tral time and not eastern time. >> he thought he was going to have enough time to warm-up. didn't have enough time to warm-up. >> that is stressful. >> that is the only thing on my tv. >> it is now 40 minutes past the hour. arnold schwarzenegger opens up for the first time about that affair. listen to this. >> she then says, hey, i think that joseph is your kid, and am i off here on this or not? >> more on that moment his wife maria schriver confronted him about his love child. >> it's the last chance to whens the question of the day amid the recent spike of insider attacks. >> let's span the globe to see what headlines are happening overseas. take a look at this. strong winds from a typhoon picking up a car sending it flying across the parking lot. wow. the vide

according to our poll, on unemployment and the deficit. let me ask you this, ben, because one thing our viewers may assume is that democratic base is now energized and the convention is now partly responsible for that. rece recently, jim -- our new poll, how do you feel strength of support, 72% of voters are strongly excited. that's a virtual tie and extremely or very enthusiastic about voting in november, 65% of republicans. 64% of democrats. does that worry you? in '08, part of the reason the president won was his people were way more enthusiastic than john mccain's. >> we heard enthusiasm on the republicans side last year and now it's down to turn out. people are voting right now. today. they're starting to vote tomorrow this ohio. our supporters are camped out at polling places and thousands more democrats voted in iowa last week than republicans. that's the way we've built this organization on the ground for the past 500 days. we're ip venvesting in a ground organization. >> we'll hit pause there, but going to be talking a lot to both of you in the next 30 some odd days and still t

it. 15-point deficit for mitt romney. i'm guessing you'll argue with some parts. >> i'm not going to argue with it at all. do you really believe it's right? let me test your political wisdom. do you think it's possible for that to be right? you know it's a piece of garb e garbage? >> this is a good pollster, but you can argue that it's not 15%. do you believe mitt romney is behind in new hampshire? >> no, i believe it's head to head in new hampshire. and i've seen enough other polls to tell you that is a piece of garbage. this race in new hampshire will be won by mitt romney by two to three points. i'm willing to say that publically and stick by it and i know that it that poll of 15 points is absolutely invalid. >> every sort of professional poll i have seen of campaigns, though, all seem to have barack obama ahead and the big issue in new hampshire has been the gender gap with moderate women who may be the republicans fiscally but uncomfortable on social issues. you have had to navigate that before. that's always an issue for new hampshire republicans. how does mitt romney naviga

tax plan without blowing up the deficit or sticking it to the middle class. we can't afford to go down that road again. we can't afford another round of budget busting tax cuts for the wealthy. we can't afford to gut our investments in education or clean energy or research or technology. we can't afford to roll back regulations on wall street banks or oil companies or insurance companies. we can't afford to double down on the same topdown economic policies that got us into this mess. that is not a jobs plan. it's not a plan for our economy. it's not a plan to strengthened middle class. it is not change. it is a relapse. and we're not going to do it. we have been there. we have tried that. we are not going back. we're moving forward. because i've got a different view. we have a different view about how to create jobs and prosperity. this country doesn't succeed when only the rich get richer. we succeed when everybody has a shot, when the middle class is getting bigger, when there are ladders of opportunity into the middle class. our economy does not grow from the top down, it grows from

the case he had been on two issues, on handling the deficit, on the economy more broadly and some extent on what making washington work and overcoming partisan paralysis, those are issues he was ahead of obama until recently, and was ahead of obama with female voters until recently. the reason you're seeing that ad right now, the biggest and most troubling change in the polling in the last two weeks has been the shift in the right track/wrong track numbers and concurrently the shift of obama being given the edge over romney on those issues where the only place romney had a lead. they are, you know -- obviously don't want to talk about the issues that are toxic with female voters but must win back some of the suburban female votes on economics, deficit, stuff like that. they see that as an imperative and that's why that ad is out there. >> i don't think you say to your baby to, welcome to america. the first of the ad is so bizarre. hi, honey, welcome to our family. >> welcome to a baby -- welcome to america, baby, you're teething and have $50,000 in debt. after the break while the

country. let's hold the president to the same standard as well. >> first of all, we have a deficit plan, it's got health care savings. romney doesn't have a deficit plan. he's got a plan to cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires. he's got a 5 trilli$5 trillion. -- another $2 trillion in defense spending. >> just three days into the first presidential debate, meanwhile mitt romney is off to the trail. we have two reports, we begin with nbc's peter alexander, he's with the romney campaign in boston, with a good morning to you, peter. what are you hearing about all the debate preps today. he o'clock najs that this is an important opportunity in her debate. people have a tendency to focus on the small things, like the color of a candidate's tie or the dramatic one liners, which is his need to get across the big picture message. he says if he does that, he thinks he can be effective over the course of the next three debates and ultimately win this thing. we heard this morning from governor chris christie of new jersey, i want to play you another clip from new jersey this morning. c

budget plan, on deficit reduction, but i believe it was haley barbour and others that say the president is not being held to that same standard, the example they bring up is that the president says 1 million jobs -- mitt romney said 12 million and he has not explained but nevertheless, they see this is not equal treatment. when the president is on stage domestic policy, will he be under more fire to talk about the direction of the country because the responsibility and the onus right now is on him being the incumbent? >> i mean, absolutely. here's the reality. if you look at this in terms of, you know, what i think is going to end up happening in this debate, both candidates are going to force -- are going to be forced to answer the gaps if you will. i think the difference is, romney's gaps are the size of the grand canyon. the president i think has laid out pretty clear specific agenda in terms of where he wants to go. plus he has a record that he can go back to. he has a record he has to defend. but romney's problem is, this incredible reluctance to give any details about the loophole